You know that electricity prices are going up, and in some states, they’re already exorbitant. Mostly, that’s in states where politicians have put their radical climate agendas ahead of the standard of living of their constituents.
When is it reasonable for politicians to block pipelines for gas that’s in demand? Or to shut down power plants just because they don’t like the fuel they’re running on? You can see in the map of residential electricity rates just where politicians have been making efforts to help constituents, and where they haven’t.
The data in the map above from the EIA shows a sharp divergence between the northeastern states and California on one side, and the rest of the 48 contiguous states.
After decades of pushing policies that limit or destroy energy production in their states, politicians in the big blue blob states are reconsidering their choices. The backlash against high costs has become so loud it can no longer be ignored. The New York Times reports:
Several years ago, in a burst of climate optimism, Democratic-led states across the Northeast adopted some of the world’s most ambitious policies to shift away from fossil fuels and cut planet-warming emissions.
But today, many of those states are scaling back or rethinking their climate plans as they miss emissions targets, struggle with soaring electricity bills and confront the Trump administration’s hostility to renewable energy.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently said the state’s goal for deeply cutting emissions by 2030 was now “unattainable” and asked the legislature to rework its landmark climate law. Regulators had been discussing fees on polluters to help meet that goal, but Ms. Hochul said the costs passed onto consumers would be too high.
In Massachusetts, lawmakers are eyeing cuts to a program that adds charges to utility bills to fund heat pumps and efficiency upgrades, while Gov. Maura Healey has pursued a flurry of energy policy changes to address affordability.
In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee has proposed delaying a legal deadline for the state to get all of its electricity from renewables, from 2033 to 2050, claiming that the current mandate would impose steep near-term costs.
“The biggest hardship I hear from Rhode Islanders right now is their growing energy bills,” Mr. McKee said after proposing to reduce state charges on utility bills that would have funded solar panels and other climate programs, in a move he estimated would save residents $1 billion over five years. “We need to provide relief now.”
Relief? The relief these states need is new leaders who will put residents first, and not their radical agendas.
Action Line: If you live in a state where politicians treat you as their personal piggy bank to fund their radical agendas, you may want to look for a better America. Begin your search with Your Survival Guy’s 2026 Super States rankings. And click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
